Brad The Bike Boy: December 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas to all

Well, it's that time of the year again when people have a reason to want everything finished and I get to have an empty workshop. Kind of nice really. I did have to go in today for one last job, arguably the most important job of the year for a particularly special customer. The photo shows the finished job. Although I'm not totally convinced of the low cost Chinese quality, I'm sure he'll get plenty of miles out of it. The change from his current 12" to these new 16" wheels (and lack of training wheels) will speed him up too, so I expect the odd injury or two in the near future. But you get that. I look at him as a little man and just see myself at his age and that in itself worries me stupid.

I'll be back open from the 11th of Jan, but will be receiving emails for the time in between so email me for any booking enquiries and I'll get back to you.

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it and happy reason to have time off work for those who don't. My thanks to those who have supported me over the past year. It's been an interesting ride with lots of expected unexpectedness and things learnt and a few forgotten. Hopefully I've lived up to expectations.

Brad

The 851

The 400SS

I bought this 400SS (genuine 93 model Australian delivery! Woo hoo huh.) after seeing it in Ebay for what was possibly an good price. As ever, good was too good to be true. Badly repaired and rusted out fuel tank, badly repainted side panels, lots of km (83,000 of the bastards), etc. You know, the usual. Purchased in October 2012, as of now (Jan 2014) I've nearly finished a major service. The cam timing is done with some of the Madasl adjustable pullies that have been drilled in 4 different settings for easy dyno testing. And I have some 900 headers to try a 40mm dual exhaust set up on it (ala M400). Not a great deal of progress for 15 months, so it's taking on a long term feel. There's an F1 endurance style seat base (more taper at the rear) and front fairing sitting around, which will require frame mods to fit. It's a bit of a mental sticking point as this time. But hey, it's not like I can devalue it much more.

The Mighty KR1S 250

How it looked the rainy night someone came to take it away. Painted all black when I bought it, at some point later I realised i could rub the black off and have much of the original colour scheme underneath. Although the main fairing was originally from a red KR1 I think, and definitely badly repaired more than once, so it stayed black. And the tail panel shown was bought to replace the one I smashed the only time I crashed it and the last time I rode it at a Sandown track day. A sensational little bike, holed pistons and frequently failing stator windings aside. The first bike I rode on a race track and the first bike I had my knee down on. And a great commuter too I found. It's sometimes nice to have a bike that won't wheelie past the city speed limit in first gear.